A client who had a knee replacement surgery receives a prescription for enoxaparin 30 mg subcutaneously every 12 hours for 10 days. The medication is available in 30 mg per 0.3 mL prefilled syringes. How many mL should the practical nurse (PN) administer each day? (Enter numerical value only.)
The Correct Answer is ["0.6"]
- Medication dose: 30 mg enoxaparin
- Medication concentration: 30 mg per 0.3 mL (prefilled syringe)
- Frequency: Every 12 hours
- Duration: 10 days
Calculation:
- Injections per day: Since the medication is given every 12 hours, the client will receive injections 2 times per day (24 hours / 12 hours/injection).
- Total medication per day: To find the total amount of enoxaparin needed per day, multiply the single injection dose by the number of injections:
Total enoxaparin/day = Dose per injection x Number of injections/day = 30 mg/injection x 2 injections/day = 60 mg/day
- Volume of medication per day: Now, we need to find the volume of solution needed to deliver the total daily dose (60 mg) based on the medication concentration (30 mg/0.3 mL). We can achieve this with a proportion:
Volume (mL) / Total dose (mg) = Concentration (mg/mL)
Volume (mL) = (Total dose (mg) x Concentration (mL/mg)) / Concentration (mg/mL)
Plugging in the values:
Volume (mL) = (60 mg x 0.3 mL/mg) / 30 mg/mL
Volume (mL) = 18 mL / 30 mL/mL
Simplifying:
Volume (mL) = 0.6 mL
Therefore, the practical nurse (PN) should administer 0.6 mL of enoxaparin each day.
Nursing Test Bank
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Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Re-assessing the client’s temperature is important but not the priority action since the client is currently afebrile and the cough with yellow sputum could indicate an infection or other condition needing immediate attention.
B. Notifying the charge nurse of the assessment findings is the priority because the yellow-tinged sputum in a client receiving chemotherapy might indicate an infection or complication that requires further investigation and possible intervention.
C. Measuring and recording intake and output is important for overall fluid balance but does not address the immediate concern of a productive cough with potential infection.
D. Providing regular oral hygiene is part of general care but does not address the potential underlying cause of the productive cough and yellow-tinged sputum.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Performing an arterial stick to obtain a PaO2 level is important for diagnostic purposes but does not address the immediate need to improve oxygenation.
B. Obtaining vital signs, including oxygen saturation, is important but should follow the initiation of oxygen therapy to address the immediate threat to the client’s respiratory status.
C. Starting oxygen at 2 liters nasal cannula is the highest priority intervention to immediately improve the client’s oxygenation status and address the acute symptoms of tachypnea and altered mental status.
D. Assessing pain level and last pain medication given is important but secondary to addressing the client's acute respiratory symptoms.
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